When it comes to visas for digital nomads it is a case of countries catching up to technology. Digital nomads often choose to live and work in developing countries where they can have a positive impact on the local economy. So, in the last year or two some countries have launched specific digital nomad visas. These short-term work visas aim to provide this established workforce with a legitimate means of remaining in a country and attract others at a time when millions of people are working remotely anyway.
Understanding the required visas as a digital nomad can be challenging. Many location independent workers entered their country of choice on tourist visas under the assumption that if they were not working for a business in that country they did not need a visa.
What do I need to qualify for a digital nomad visa?
All visa requirements will vary by country. It is important to research the individual requirements for the country you hope to work from well in advance of your travel date. Processing times for digital nomad visas can be lengthy – think months rather than days or weeks.
At a minimum you will usually require:
- Valid passport for travel
- Proof of reliable remote income
- Fee for the visa
European countries offering digital nomad visas
1. Czech Republic
Are you dreaming of working from one of the many co-working spaces in or near the lively cobblestoned hub of Prague old town? The Zivno visa for freelance/self-employed people from outside the EU, may help those dreams become a reality. Although it used to be a reasonably easy visa for digital nomads to get, this is no longer the case and you need to be well prepared. The Czech embassy or consulate in your home country is the best source of accurate information on the application process.
2. Germany
Germany was one of the first EU countries to offer a digital nomad visa in the form of their freelancer visa. It is open to self-employed people in a variety of industries including engineering, architecture, marketing, IT and a host of others. There is a stringent list of requirements though, including revenue forecasts and financial plans.
3. Portugal
Work by the beautiful beaches in the Algarve or amongst the warren of narrow streets of Porto’s old town on Portugal’s temporary resident visa. The best thing about this option is it allows digital nomads to stay in the country for more than a year. Plenty of time to sightsee, surf and really get a feel for life in this beautiful country.
4. Estonia
Estonia have amended their Alien Act to allow digital nomads to live and work from the Baltic nation for up to a year. As a pioneer of the digital economy finding wi-fi should not be an issue in a country where 99% of public services are online and available to citizens 24/7 and almost half of citizens use i-voting.
Rest of the world countries offering digital nomad visas
5. Barbados
Get seriously tropical by spending a year working from the Caribbean. The ‘Barbados Welcome Stamp’ aims to help this island nation recoup some of its lost revenue from the Covid-19 pandemic by allowing visitors to live and work from there for a year.
6. Georgia
Georgia is one of the most recent countries to offer a digital nomad visa, launching in August 2020, ‘Remotely from Georgia’ allows self-employed citizens from 95 countries to live and work in Georgia.
This list is by no means exhaustive, it is just some of the countries that are offering short- and medium-term visas to this evolving cohort.
If you are considering becoming a digital nomad don’t forget your health and wellbeing. International health insurance may allow you to access healthcare in your chosen country as well as a host of benefits to help support your wellbeing on your digital nomad adventure.
